Shrinkhala Khatiwada on the Principles and Priorities of Urban Planning in Kathmandu

#Ep.067

Kathmandu is a city famous for plenty of its charms but its capacity urban planning isn’t one of them. In fact the city struggles with overwhelmed roads, lack of open spaces, mismanaged waste and other problems which often outspill into vulnerable communities. However, urban planning has been institutionalized in Nepal for more than a decade. This begs the question, what’s holding Kathmandu back from becoming a planned city?

In todays episode, PEI’s Sudipa is in covnersation with Urban Planner Shrinkhala Khatiwada to discuss Kathmandu’s urban planning history, current state, unique challenges, and opportunities. The two explore the core principal behind how urban planning is approached in the city, as Shrinkhala’s own experiences working in the field. They evaluate the cities priorities as exemplified by its recent urban planning projects, and end with an exploration on potentials and possibilities.

Shrinkhala is founder of Gaatha, an architecture and design firm. She completed her Masters in Urban Planning from Harvard University. She has led multiple national and international architectural and urban planning projects, where she collaborated with a range of stakeholders including local government bodies, development partners, technical experts and community.  She has a Masters in Urban Planning from Harvard University. 

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